Chapter 130: Selecting Someone
“No rush, take your time picking. Today I’m just giving you a heads-up.”
Gu Yansheng wasn’t in a hurry to get someone on the job right away; better to lack than to overabundance was the major principle.
“Anyway, whenever you find a suitable person, I’ll find a reason to replace the current one then.”
After bidding farewell to Shen Linshen, Gu Yansheng treated Gu Zhuxuan to dinner that evening.
“In prison it was Director Gu treating me to dinner, and now that I’m out, how could I let Director Gu treat? Wouldn’t that mean I came out for nothing? Hahahaha.”
Linjiangxian, a restaurant north of the Suzhou River in Zhabei; when Gu Yansheng met Gu Zhuxuan again, his complexion was completely different.
“They all say that a person in high spirits looks radiant upon happy occasions. It seems you’ve had quite a few good things lately?” Gu Yansheng smiled and teased.
Gu Zhuxuan burst out laughing: “Compared to being in prison, could there be anything worse? After this ordeal, I’ve figured it out—look on the bright side of everything, and life is boundless joy.”
“Huang Jinrong’s matter isn’t an issue anymore?” Gu Yansheng asked.
“That one still counts.” Gu Zhuxuan was also very straightforward.
Gu Yansheng sneered without saying a word.
Gu Zhuxuan said directly: “I know Director Gu is busy, I’ve brought the person, but let me say upfront—finding people for you really wasn’t easy. I put in a lot of effort. Only for you, Director Gu; for anyone else, I definitely wouldn’t go to this trouble. Too much hassle.”
“What do you mean finding people for me is hard? Is it really that difficult?” Gu Yansheng asked curiously.
Now it was Gu Zhuxuan’s turn to sneer: “Director Gu, don’t you think about your noble status as a city government official? Would good people be willing to work for a traitor? And this isn’t just any work—it’s being a house slave.
Of course, I know you’re not that bad, but others don’t know that. I can’t explain it, so doesn’t that mean I have to put in effort?
If I really found you a few die-hard traitors to be your house slaves, would you want them?
If you do, I don’t have them.”
“Alright, alright, I get it.”
Gu Yansheng nodded repeatedly and smiled: “Just tell me, what kind did you find? If you put it that way, I’m really curious—how did you find someone both willing to work for me and with a decent character?”
“Please sit, please sit.” After Gu Zhuxuan spoke, he sat down himself and said frankly: “Today I’ll let you see if the person I found is top-notch. A Mao, bring Old Jin in first, one by one.”
“Yes.” Gu Zhuxuan’s subordinate quickly brought in a steady-looking man who appeared nearly forty.
Seeing the way Old Jin walked in, Gu Yansheng’s eyes widened slightly. Impressive—Gu Zhuxuan had actually found him a lame man.
His right leg was lame, not severely, just a little, but Gu Yansheng noticed it immediately upon close inspection.
Gu Zhuxuan introduced him openly: “Old Jin, Jin Desheng, 35 years old. Previously a repairman for the British tram company in the urban area of Shanghai. Don’t let his slightly lame leg fool you—his driving and repair skills are excellent.
Most importantly, he knows all of Shanghai’s streets and alleys big and small very well. Director Gu, with your status, don’t you need to consider potential ambushes?
That’s exactly what I thought of, so I searched hard and found him. I can pat my chest and say that even if you’re ambushed, as long as you’re still in the car and it can move, Old Jin can find a way out—twisting and turning through alleys, he’ll definitely get you away.
This ability of Old Jin’s has been tested under me.
Dozens of people tried to hijack his goods, but they couldn’t intercept them. He shook off the bandits, who were also Shanghainese, completely.
“That’s an interesting way to put it.” Gu Yansheng smiled and looked at Old Jin with some curiosity. “Shanghai’s roads are so complex—how did you get so good at them? Born with a great memory?”
Gu Zhuxuan spoke for him: “No, because during the Battle of Songhu, he got separated from his wife and son. He walked every street and alley in all of Shanghai, going door to door asking if anyone had seen his wife and child, back and forth several times. Going so often, he got familiar with them all, measured out by his own legs.
How wide each place is, what size car can pass—that’s engraved in his bones.
That leg got injured during the Battle of Songhu when the tram was bombed, cut by shrapnel.
Not serious—he can run, jump, and drive.
They were still living in the Shanghai urban area then. Later the fighting got too intense, the tram company stopped operations due to the war and dismissed all Chinese employees. Then the Kuomintang withdrew troops, and a bunch of people fled to the concession for refuge.
But the concession is only so big, and not everyone gets in—you need papers, connections. Old Jin went to the British company in the concession hoping they’d issue papers to let his family in, and that’s when he lost contact with them.
Later he came to me, driving trucks for me, hoping my many rickshaw pullers could help look for them together. If not in Shanghai, then in Jiangsu. Unfortunately, I haven’t helped him succeed yet.
Quite a hard-luck guy, but truly a real man.”
Gu Yansheng looked at Old Jin and nodded: “A man of loyalty and righteousness. This one’s good.”
And to be valued by the British company, his skills must truly be outstanding.
Gu Zhuxuan continued: “When I found him and told him you needed people, he had a request too. Old Jin, you say it yourself.”
Old Jin seemed steady but not dull, and he appeared to have moved past his past, saying with a smile: “I’m very grateful to Fourth Master for helping me. If I can’t find them, it’s my bad luck, not Fourth Master’s fault.
Today meeting Director Gu, I also have an unreasonable request. I still hope to find my wife and child. Knowing Director Gu’s great abilities, I’d like to ask if you could help inquire when convenient.
I know I’m not worthy to ask you for anything, and I have nothing to offer. I can only say I’ll do my job well and ensure your travels are safe and smooth.”
After he spoke, Gu Zhuxuan chimed in: “Director Gu, this man’s definitely capable, and his matter is real. I found him first because I thought you’d find him useful, and second to ease my own worry—I’ve been keeping this in mind too and want a result. If you can, could you help? Consider it a good deed.”
“No problem.”
Gu Yansheng looked at Old Jin, pondering as he said: “Battle of Songhu—plenty of families got separated. Nicely put, some are scattered; bluntly put, some may not even be alive anymore. How do you judge that your wife and child are still alive?”
Old Jin said with absolute certainty: “They’re definitely alive—someone’s seen them. I have a photograph.”
Old Jin took a photo from his wallet, stepped forward, and handed it to Gu Yansheng: “Please look, Director Gu. It was chaos back then, but my wife’s features are distinctive—she was seven months pregnant, with a nine-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl. After I showed the photo repeatedly, someone recalled seeing them on the road fleeing to the concession, and more than one person saw them.”
Those features were indeed quite distinctive. Gu Yansheng nodded: “So if they’re alive, the boy would be ten, the girl eight, and the little one about a year old.”
“Exactly.”
“Such obvious information and you couldn’t find them in Shanghai?” Gu Yansheng looked at Gu Zhuxuan, puzzled. A pregnant woman has to give birth somewhere.
Gu Zhuxuan shook his head: “Anyway, I searched all the places we should. Logically, even if a big-bellied woman doesn’t go to the hospital, a midwife would be involved—the midwife circle in Shanghai isn’t big. I had people check, but no luck.
I even spent money to have people check the household registration office in the concession and Shanghai urban area, looking at new registrations after the Battle of Songhu—no names matching his wife or children.
I was worried his wife had met with misfortune, so I even had people ask among the beggar groups—no trace.
Logically, if they were in Shanghai then, they couldn’t have left.
Ship tickets out of Shanghai were impossible to get back then. Unless they took a small boat along the Suzhou River to Jiangsu, there’s no reason they wouldn’t still be in Shanghai.
But to say a widow with orphans would despair and try to rush the Suzhou River past Japanese patrol boats—I don’t think that’s possible.
Anyway, I’m really puzzled by this. Since we can’t find them in Shanghai now, we can only look toward Jiangsu.”
“It is a bit strange.” Gu Yansheng felt their search methods were sound.
He glanced at the family photo in his hand and returned it to Old Jin: “Leave it here. I can help you find them.”
“Thank you, Mr. Gu, thank you, Mr. Gu.” Old Jin bowed deeply, on the verge of tears of joy.
“Perfect.” Gu Zhuxuan was the happiest, clapping his hands: “With Director Gu looking, if they’re still in Shanghai, we’ll definitely find them. Old Jin, you’re fortunate—work hard, and you’ll find your wife and kids.”
“I will, thank you Fourth Master, thank you Mr. Gu.”
“Later, write me detailed information on your wife and children.”
“Yes, yes.”
Gu Yansheng was helping not just out of kindness—first, the man’s skills seemed excellent; second, if he found his family, given his loyal nature, total devotion wouldn’t be hard to secure.
Clean background, and the favor wasn’t hard for him— no reason to refuse.
But help aside, warnings were necessary: “Work steadily first, but let me say this upfront—don’t get distracted. I can find people faster than you. If you mess up my business, no favors owed, and no more help from me.”
“Absolutely, I understand. Please rest assured, Mr. Gu—otherwise Fourth Master wouldn’t have kept me this long.” Old Jin smiled.
“Old Jin, you go wait first.”
“Yes.”
“One more, the guard captain I found for you.” Gu Zhuxuan turned to Gu Yansheng and said, then had his subordinate bring the person in.
This time the man was young, twenty-seven or twenty-eight, burly and tall, full of vigor.
“A Meng, from a martial arts family in Cangzhou, Hebei, a proper ninth-generation disciple of Chen-style Baji Fist. We go back—he and his father got acquainted when I was transporting goods to Cangzhou; we fought first then became friends. Later war broke out, family fortunes declined, he came to Shanghai to make a living and ran into me.
No issues otherwise, just a big eater—I can’t afford to keep him. See if Director Gu wants him.”
Gu Yansheng wanted to laugh hearing this: “That exaggerated? How much could even a big eater cost?”
“He can eat two pounds of beef for breakfast.”
“That’s pretty voracious.”
Gu Yansheng’s smile faded slightly, and he looked impressed. Beef—the city government canteen doesn’t even ration beef, not one meal a month.
Japanese soldiers’ canned beef is hot commodity hard currency on the black market.
“How much is beef per pound now?” Gu Yansheng asked.
Gu Zhuxuan answered: “Around one silver dollar.”
That meant at least 60 silver dollars a month just on meat, food costs over a hundred—no wonder this type is hard to place in a job.
Gu Zhuxuan explained: “He eats a lot, but his skills are genuinely top-notch. Director Gu, he’s no sharpshooter, but for guarding your courtyard, it’s more about vigilance and close combat—martial artists excel there. I think he’s suitable.”
“Pretty suitable.” Gu Yansheng nodded in agreement.
Even if not, Gu Yansheng planned to take him.
Trust people you use, use people you trust—Gu Yansheng felt secure with Gu Zhuxuan’s recommendations.
Gu Zhuxuan had a relative who was Third War Zone commander; when Huang Jinrong informed on him to the Japanese claiming Military Statistics Bureau ties, though unproven, it wasn’t impossible privately.
If true, Gu Zhuxuan’s line connected to the Third War Zone commander, and possibly to Boss Dai of the Military Statistics Bureau.
Gu Zhuxuan might not know his identity, but reporting infiltration of a puppet government official’s home would reach Boss Dai, and once he knew, this recommended guard—even if initially scheming—would turn loyal.
So Gu Yansheng didn’t care if Gu Zhuxuan’s recommendations had ulterior motives.
The end result would be the same.
If the Military Statistics Bureau thing was fake and Gu Zhuxuan had no Third War Zone ties, he was just a simple North Jiangsu Tycoon.
Then it was even simpler—a pure cooperative relationship, just recommending people for him, maybe probing city government moves at most.
Plus planting a big eater to shear some wool—minor issue.
“The people you recommend all have character.” Gu Yansheng chuckled.
Gu Zhuxuan sighed: “Really no choice—recommending for you means considering so much. I can’t bring street punks of low caliber to your door, right?”
“No beef okay?” Gu Yansheng joked.
A Meng shook his head: “Baji Fist is a fierce style—martial artists without full bellies have no strength.”
“I mean, is pork okay?”
A Meng’s eyes lit up slightly: “Pork’s fine, of course, but pork’s more expensive than beef—you’d lose out.”
Pork was indeed pricier, because of the fat.
Gu Yansheng laughed heartily: “How much salary?”
He hadn’t asked Old Jin earlier because Old Jin had a request, but this one definitely needed wages.
A Meng said honestly: “Room and board to satiety, then whatever Director Gu sees fit for the rest.”
“Food alone is 100 silver dollars a month—eats better than my salary.” Gu Yansheng tossed the puzzle to Gu Zhuxuan: “What do you think is appropriate?”
“Just give twenty or thirty casually. With that appetite, only Director Gu’s place can afford it.”
“Thirty then?”
“Fine by me, no problem.” A Meng nodded.
“The two key figures are selected; the rest of the guard team is simple. I’ve arranged twenty Green Gang disciples for you to use first—my people, use them for now. If you don’t like any later, just replace them.”
Gu Yansheng had no objections—as a traitor picking people, this was the way. No one with Kuomintang army background could be used; among the rest, jianghu types could fight and kill, had fewer qualms about traitors, took money for a living.
But relying on one group wasn’t ideal—risk of collusion. Later, see if from the Underground Party or elsewhere he could recruit more to replace half, for balance.
For now, inspection department people could fill shifts.
With bodyguard and driver set, next were nanny, cook, etc.
Plenty of candidates—market slump, many jobless.
Gu Zhuxuan brought two from employment agencies to recommend.
But Gu Yansheng took neither—employment agencies sending to wealthy homes risked plants.
He asked about the current talent market situation.
Then after dinner with Gu Zhuxuan, he strolled around to digest.
Casually picked two with kind faces that caught his eye.
One young maid, A Xiang, 20, orphan refugee from Northern Jiangsu, daytime job plus evening odd jobs, diligent—hired on spot.
One older Zhou Ma, 43, previously at Portuguese consulate before Battle of Songhu; consul evacuated, she was let go. Skilled in Ningbo cuisine and Western pastries.
Husband hit by stray bullet in Battle of Songhu; she supported their household of five.
Life pressures heavy, seeking wealthy employer, but major investors rarely switch cooks, and market competition fierce—no stable placement.
Running into Gu Yansheng was her good luck.
All clean backgrounds—Gu Yansheng felt secure using them.
